Review: 9 Rocks Vodka

Black Rock Distillery in Spray, Oregon (population: 160) is the home of 9 Rocks Vodka (aka Nine Rocks Vodka), which is a triple-distilled (from what is unknown), charcoal- and micro-filtered neutral spirit.

Mild on the nose, the vodka offers a gentle medicinality with an undercurrent of marzipan and marshmallow. The body is somewhat sweeter than the nose lets on, with notes of vanilla, more marzipan/almond paste, some citrus (lime, perhaps), and nutmeg on the back end. The finish recalls some of those early medicinal notes again, but here they’re light and dusted with a fine sheen of dark cocoa powder. The denouement is clean and refreshing, quite easygoing on the whole.

9 Rocks may not have a rap icon behind it or feature an etched label featuring a wintry landscape, but it’s just as good as the imported stuff.